Security For Warehouse and Distribution Centers

Assessing Security At Your Warehouse or Distribution Center

Cargo theft at warehouses and distribution centers costs U.S. businesses as much as $30 million a year, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. With the price of goods continuing to increase due to the looming recession and inflation, cargo theft numbers continue to rise as thieves can generate greater and greater profits on the resale market. If your warehouse, distribution center or truck lot hasn’t been hit yet, it’s only a matter of time. Are you ready?

“Cargo theft costs U.S. businesses as much as $30 million a year.” - FBI

Thieves continue to find more innovative ways to access cargo, and it’s up to business owners and their security partners to develop stronger security plans to keep them at bay. Before thieves put a target on your warehouse, take these steps to stop them before they can make off with your profits.

Start with a risk assessment

A risk assessment is a critical tool for improving your warehouse or distribution center’s security. By assessing your facility’s weak points, you know where to invest your time, energy, and capital. Need help finding your facility’s hidden vulnerabilities? Schedule your free Threat Assessment with AMAROK today. One of our security experts can help you pinpoint weak spots in your security plan before thieves do.

Layered external security quadruples your savings and safety

Too often, warehouse owners throw up a security camera or a chain-link fence and think that’s good enough. Or they rest on doing nothing and think they’re covered because they have insurance (which is often not the case). But the best way to keep thieves out of your warehouse, distribution center, or truck lot is a layered security approach.

Layered perimeter security keeps thieves from accessing your parking lot, property and entryways by stopping them before they get in. Some aspects you’ll want to have in place include:

1. Strong perimeter fencing – A simple chain link fence can be breached in seconds with a bolt cutter. Opt for a metal or electric fence instead.
2. Video surveillance – Video surveillance acts as a psychological deterrent to crime and can help catch perpetrators, too.
3. Lot lighting – Lighting acts as another psychological deterrent and can be specifically positioned in areas with a greater likelihood of crime, like gates and isolated areas.
4. Alarm systems – If your fence was breached, would you know? An alarm system that starts at your perimeter adds valuable minutes to your security response.

Vulnerabilities in warehouse security

Within your warehouse or distribution center, there are a lot of moving parts. Shipping and receiving, stocking and pulling orders, a cleaning crew, the maintenance folks, sales reps and contractors coming and going – with that many people exposed to the vicinity, there are ample opportunities for internal theft. 

“Internal theft costs U.S. businesses $50 million a year.”

Address the internal security vulnerabilities in your warehouse or distribution center with these steps:

1. Install keyless access control – You should know who is going in and out of your facility at all times. This system should also notify you remotely if a door is being accessed after hours.
2. Require all your employees to wear name badges – This way it’s easier to spot if someone unrelated to your company is on company property.
3. Create a trash removal process – Taking out the trash is a prime opportunity for valuable materials to leave the building. Create a process that ensures only trash makes it out the door.
4. Separate critical job functions – Make it harder for internal theft to occur by separating job functions such as receiving inventory and sending orders. 
5. Institute an inventory management system – Regular, random inventory checks can deter internal crime and help you stop a slow leak before it becomes a big problem. 

Protecting Your Most Valuable Asset

The threat of theft is considerable, but a focus on warehouse and distribution center security should also protect your most valuable asset – your employees. Crime at your location puts your employees at risk of theft of personal assets, violence, and worse. Implementing a strong security plan at your facility protects your inventory, assets, employees and your reputation from the detrimental effects of crime.